U15 USYNT To Play in UEFA Development Tournament

The U.S. U15 Men’s Youth National Team (USMYNT) will participate in a UEFA Development Tournament in Portugal starting December 2, 2023.

The tournament will feature host nation Portugal, Italy, Scotland, and the United States. The U15s in the youngest Youth National Team and play a crucial role in the future of United States soccer.

Players qualify to play on the national stage if they are born on or after January 1, 2009. On this year’s team, there are two players born in 2010 – Boston Bolts FC midfielder William Recupero and Chicago Fire FC midfielder Robert Turdean.

U-15 MYNT Roster by Position (Club)

Head coach Tom Heinemann has selected a squad of 18 players born in 2009 and two born in 2010. Real Madrid defender Manuel Romero, who is based internationally, is also part of the squad. The roster includes players from 12 clubs, with 10 players from MLS Next. The New York Red Bulls have the most players on the roster with five, while LA Galaxy has four players.

The U-15 MYNT roster is as follows:

GOALKEEPERS (2):

• James Donaldson (Atlanta United FC; Woodstock, GA)
• Tobias Szewczyk (New York Red Bulls; Morristown, NJ)

DEFENDERS (6):

• Edward Chadwick (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, CA)
• Liam Devan (Nashville SC; Nashville, TN)
• Tyson Espy (LAFC; Dana Point, CA)
• Alex Gomez (New York Red Bulls; Dover, NJ)
• Astin Mbaye (New York Red Bulls; Jersey City, NJ)
• Manuel Romero (Real Madrid/ESP; Madrid, Spain)

MIDFIELDERS (6):

• Christopher Cook (FC Dallas; Frisco, TX)
• Joaquin Cunningham (LA Galaxy; Long Beach, CA)
• Adri Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls; Staten Island, NY)
• William Recupero (FC Boston Bolts; Hopkinton, MA)
• Kaedren Spivey (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, CA)
• Robert Turdean (Chicago Fire FC; Niles, IL)

FORWARDS (6):

• Mathis Albert (LA Galaxy; El Segundo, CA)
• Mattheo Dimareli (Houston Dynamo FC; Houston, TX)
• Omar Hassan (Seattle Sounders FC; Bellevue, WA)
• Paul Sokoloff (New York Red Bulls; Brooklyn, NY)
• Maximus Steelman (LA Galaxy; Carlsbad, CA)
• Jorge Torres Perez (San Jose Earthquakes; Modesto, CA)

Schedule – UEFA Development Tournament

The U-15 MYNT will play three matches in the UEFA Development Tournament. The schedule is as follows (with the U.S. games in bold):

• Thursday, Nov. 30: Italy vs. Scotland – 6 a.m. ET
• Thursday, Nov. 30: Portugal vs. USA – 6 a.m. ET
• Saturday, Dec. 2: USA vs. Italy – 6 a.m. ET
• Saturday, Dec. 2: Portugal vs. Scotland – 11 a.m. ET
• Tuesday, Dec. 5: Scotland vs. USA – 6 a.m. ET
• Tuesday, Dec. 5: Portugal vs. Italy – 6 a.m. ET

It’s not going to be an easy tournament with young talented programs from Italy, Scotland, and Portugal. UEFA’s development tournament program, which began in 2012, features special rules designed to bolster development, such as a minutes minimum for players.

The U.S. has participated in several competitions for both boys and girls across a number of age groups over the last several years. The U17 USMYNT team won a UEFA Development Tournament in Portugal in May 2022 against Belgium, Italy, and the host nation.

For U.S. fans, the talent of players coming up through the national player pool is promising. For these kids, this is the start of their journey. Some will continue playing at the highest level while others may fall in and out of the international competition in the years to come. One thing I do know is that we are headed in the right direction!